Airlines

Our Work

Since airline deregulation in the 1970s, the U.S. airline industry has consolidated into an oligopoly, forcing travelers to deal with limited options and poor service while the industry seeks bailouts and public support after major crises. VPA's Project on Networks, Platforms, and Utilities addresses how policymakers can improve air travel.

Books

Why Flying is Miserable

In this book, Ganesh Sitaraman argues that reforms are needed to fix the concentrated airline industry and low-quality air service that American travelers deal with today. Tracing the industry’s problems back to airline deregulation in 1978, Sitaraman proposes new ideas for airline policy that prioritize access, stability, and fair pricing. (Columbia Global Reports, 2023)

Get the Book

In The News

11/14/23

When air travel featured piano bars and champagne

Ganesh Sitaraman discusses how deregulation has affected air travel since the 1970s in an oped for CNN.

Read the Oped
9/21/23

Airlines Are Just Banks Now

Ganesh Sitaraman argues that frustrating mileage programs are a symptom of airline deregulation in an oped for The Atlantic.

Read the Oped
11/14/23

Why Airlines Don’t Fly to Your City and Other Problems Washington Caused

Ganesh Sitaraman discusses the history of airline deregulation and offers policy solutions in an oped for Politico.

Read the Oped
Vanderbilt Law School

Work With Us

Join our team of scholars, policy experts, and students working on cutting-edge issues in political economy and regulation.

View & Apply for Our Current Job Openings